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Common Rabite
The Common Rabite, also known as the Yellow Rabite, Plains Rabite, and just plain Rabite, is far and away the most common species of Rabite. A terrestrial, diurnal herbivore, Common Rabites are a routine sight on virtually every country in the world, though not in cold climes like Raxis. They are both pets and pests, and are prized by hunters for their fur and meat. Farmers despise them, as they routinely nibble on and devour crops and garden vegetables. They are often kept as pets as well, as they have a gentle nature and are fairly easy to train. A Common Rabite has yellow fur, a pink-furred tail, and long ears which are either "up" like on common rabbits, or the more common "Lop-ear" that is common among many other Rabite species. Changes in fur coloration and pattern here and there are common, often appearing as splotchy patterns of brown or the like. Adults are usually about 1' long and weigh between 5 and 20 Lbs. Of all the Rabite species, Common Rabites have the biggest range of intelligence; some are little more than animals, but many are smart enough to learn a word or two. A few are smart enough to speak full sentences or phrases. Common Rabites make their nests where there is plenty of food to be found. If possible, Rabites prefer to nest where there is virually no amount of work to be done in the creating of a nest; they favor locations like abandoned burrows of other animals, tunnels in dirt carved by erosion, old water and gas pipes abandoned at construction sites, or the underside of old porches. Common Rabites are not adverse to digging or creating their own nest; usually they do so in a defensible location close to a source of both food and water. Once a site is determined, the Rabite quickly goes about setting up its new burrow, with multiple below-ground chambers for sleeping, as a bathroom, and as a stockpile for food. Common Rabites are generally "pack" animals; they form large arrays of individual Rabites in order to help insure their own safety, but these rarely have any real leadership to them. Larger burrows have many chambers and can house as many as 30 Rabites. This is usually made up of equal parts males and females. There are many solitary Common Rabites, however; usually these are either survivors or a Rabite with no pack to call its own. domesticated Common Rabites are also usually solitary. Common Rabites are herbivores and eat grass, seeds, nuts, leaves, and roots. They can often be found nibbling lawns or sampling vegetables in gardens. A Rabite spends a lot of time foraging, gathering food for itself and its packmates. Rabite food stores are usually stocked with nuts and roots; things that will not spoil over time. A perenniel favorite of Common Rabites is the root of the Caro plant, an onion-like vegetable that is relatively unpalatable to humanoids (save for goblins). Common Rabites are one of the many species of Rabite that hibernate; when winter comes, these Rabites bunker down and sleep for the winter, emerging to forage only when their food stocks are depleted. If this occurs during winter, Rabites are very aggressive in looking for food and will often fight with other animals. This is when Common Rabites are most likely to be encountered in a combative state. The only other time is during mating season where Common Rabites are known for fighting over potential mates. They are also vicious in protecting their young. Common Rabite courtship is an elaborate affair involving gifts of food and attempts by males to impress females through fighting and other means. Common Rabites of either sex may have multiple mates (especially likely in the case of a pack of them), but infidelity seems relatively rare. Common Rabites are effective and attentive parents and they never leave their young unattended. In actual combat, Common Rabites lack any of the advanced attack forms available to the other Rabite species; they rely on their leaping and biting attacks, and sheer numbers to bring down enemies. A Common Rabite will break off the second combat turns against it, however, and likely will not re-engage the same enemy unless with a pack of Rabites. The exception is against an enemy threatening their pack or their young; such fights are to the death and Rabites in such a situation are utterly fearless. As Pets, Common Rabites are easy to care for, gentle-natured, and prove both smart and easy to train. Rabites still have some natural instincts that are hard for them to fight; many have bad tendencies to gnaw on furniture and chew on plant-based materials, especially straw rugs and mats. Mouse is (or was) a Common Rabite.